This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the pick and place handling of high density electronic packages, and in particular to the handling of such packages after they have been separated and through subsequent processing.
1. Background of the Invention
High density electronic packages are conventionally formed in rectangular arrays on a common substrate. The electronic packages must then be separated before proceeding to subsequent treatment and processing steps. This separation is conventionally done by a saw that cuts the substrate between the packages while the substrate is held on a cutting chuck by vacuum.
Following the cutting process the electronic packages must undergo a number of processing steps such as cleaning and drying before being transferred for farther operations in the manufacture of desired integrated circuits. In these processing steps it is import that the orientation of the electronic packages is not changed because many of the further operations may be designed depending on a particular orientation of an electronic package. It is important therefore that after separation and during the subsequent processing the electronic packages are kept in the same relative configuration and orientation.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art this is conventionally achieved either by xe2x80x9cnestingxe2x80x99 techniques, or by keeping the separated electronic packages on the vacuum cutting chuck during the further processing. Nesting techniques can be divided into two categories: using bottom nesting carriers, and using top nesting covers. In both cases the separated electronic packages are held in the original configuration and orientation by either a carrier from below or a cover applied from abovexe2x80x94a so-called xe2x80x9cnestxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94and the packages are held within the nest during further processing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,165,232 and 6,187,654 describe such techniques.
An alternative technique is simply to keep the separated packages on the vacuum cutting chuck during subsequent processing such as washing and drying. A difficulty here, however, is that this means that during this further processing the cutting chuck is not available to receive other substrates for separation and if the processing speed of the apparatus is to be acceptable multiple cutting chucks must be provided.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for handling and processing electronic components that have been separated from a common substrate at a cutting chuck, comprising: means for transferring said separated components from said cutting chuck to and through a processing unit, wherein said transferring means comprises at least one opening defined by a plurality of walls for receiving a plurality of said separated components, wherein at least one of said walls is movable to engage said separated components received within said opening and to hold said separated components in a fixed relative orientation.
Viewed from another aspect the present invention provides apparatus for the handling of electronic components formed on a common substrate, comprising: (a) a cutting chuck for separating said components, (b) a processing unit comprising a rinsing station, at least one drying station, and an output station, (c) a transfer platform for receiving components from said output station of said processing unit, and (d) an output track for carrying said components to an output location.
Viewed from a still further broad aspect the present invention provides apparatus for transferring a plurality of electronic components that have been separated from a common substrate, said apparatus comprising at least one opening defined by a plurality of walls for receiving a plurality of said separated components, wherein at least one of said walls is movable to engage said separated components received within said opening and to hold said separated components in a fixed relative orientation.
The invention also extends to methods for handling components, and thus viewed from a further aspect the present invention provides a method for handling and processing electronic components formed on a common substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) separating said components at a cutting chuck, (b) transferring said components by means of a transferring means to and through a processing unit, (c) transferring said components from an output station of said processing unit to a transfer platform, and (d) moving said components from said transfer platform to an output track, and (e)carrying said components along said output track to an output location, wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out by a lateral sliding motion of said components over level surfaces of said cutting chuck, said processing unit and said transfer platform.